Zhang Nengqi camped in the north of Xian Mountain near Yanghu Mountain, and his attention was focused on the direction of Xiangyang City and near the Han River, so his troops did not notice any abnormality in advance.
Hearing that the attack on the city had failed, Zhang Nengqi followed the orders of his father, the Eight Great Kings, to break camp and go south, serving as the vanguard of the entire army. If the journey was smooth, he would be able to reach the outskirts of Yicheng after dark, and perhaps launch a night attack.
All the troops lamented that the defenders of Xiangyang City were extremely tenacious, which resulted in the loss of their own troops and generals. They completely lost the excitement they felt when they attacked Gucheng and annihilated Tang Tong's troops.
However, the caution that the vanguard troops should have originally had was relaxed due to the scorching sun. From top to bottom, the troops were exhausted, lazy, and sweating profusely. They had no choice but to take off their armor and carry their weapons forward.
Thinking of still having to walk dozens of miles of mountain roads, the rebel soldiers had a headache. It was okay to march after sunset, but now it was the time when the sun was shining brightly. After walking to Yicheng like this, they would be exhausted and weak.
Looking at the mountains covered with vegetation, everyone climbed up with a dull head after taking a glance. If they disobeyed the military order without permission, they would be beheaded. Today, they can only endure hardships.
"Boom boom boom boom..."
"kill!"
Just when the five hundred rebels were about to climb halfway up the mountain, they suddenly heard the sound of cannons. They immediately opened their eyes and raised their necks to look up the mountain.
I saw countless officers and soldiers rushing down from the top of the mountain, a steady stream, and the number was so large that it was difficult to estimate for a while. The direction they rushed towards was exactly where I was.
"Quick! The enemy is attacking! Hit them all on the forehead! Anyone who dares to retreat will be killed without mercy!"
The leader of the team was Zhang Nengqi's general He Tianyun. He did not expect that the officers and soldiers were ambushing behind them. It seemed that they had been waiting for a long time, otherwise they would not have suddenly rushed down.
The situation was grim and critical. Seeing that the two sides were about to engage in hand-to-hand combat, he was not allowed to think twice before taking action. He Tianyun could only shout at the surrounding soldiers and order them to fight on the spot.
When the four generals behind him send reinforcements, they can turn the tide of the battle. Not to mention that there are tens of thousands of the main force of the eight kings behind them. There is no need to fear these officers and soldiers in front of them.
However, after the order was issued, the rebel soldiers were still in a very difficult position. It was very difficult to attack upward from the mountainside. Moreover, the government troops deployed a large number of Folangji on the top of the mountain. It was very easy to attack them from a high position.
The number of officers and soldiers on the opposite side was much greater than theirs, and before the hand-to-hand combat began, they stayed on the mountainside, especially in some treeless locations, unable to hide. They were bombarded in vain, that's all.
"ah……"
In an instant, smoke and dust were everywhere, screams were heard repeatedly, and the rebel soldiers were knocked down by the continuous explosions.
At first, everyone wanted to launch an attack directly to the top of the mountain, but after suffering a feast of Folangji, they had no idea.
"No retreat!"
Seeing that the soldiers of his headquarters had already turned around and ran away, He Tianyun waved his sword and shouted loudly, but the roar of cannons and the loud shouts of killing could not have the desired effect at all.
The army has an absolute advantage in the terrain, and it seems that its strength is definitely not weak. With the five hundred men in hand, they will be blasted into the sky by the other side before they can even climb to the top of the mountain.
"Ouch~!"
Without waiting for He Tianyun to give another order, an arrow suddenly hit his armor. The arrow cluster went straight into the position below the collarbone. He screamed in pain. Under the protection of his own soldiers, he hurriedly followed the defeated troops. Run down the mountain.
Since there was no way to win, he did not intend to persist any longer. The terrain was unfavorable, and a large number of officers and soldiers had been ambushed for a long time. He still had to ask the four generals to send people over to deal with this enemy force.
"Dang~!"
The sound of artillery had stopped, and the officers and soldiers who rushed down soon heard the gong signal to withdraw their troops. They could only watch with regret as the thieves ran further and further away, unable to let these thieves become their victims.
With so many men and horses, the general supply only killed about a hundred thieves. It was obvious that he had made a loss-making business, and he didn't even get back the capital. He also tried to scare the snake. What should he do if one of them went backwards?
"Brother, why did you suddenly withdraw your troops just now? If you let me go down the mountain, I will be able to kill a general with my own hands!"
I heard that Hong Shaobao had brought a lot of money and food with him this time. Mou Guodong, the clan brother, wanted to take this opportunity to make military exploits and earn some money, but he was unwilling to withdraw his troops and missed the great opportunity.
"Yes, brother, if you give me some more time, we will be able to gather together and annihilate this bandit army!"
Mou Guoheng also immediately agreed. It was really unacceptable to just watch so many thieves walking around in this place. They were all due to military exploits.
Almost all the adult men of the Mou family in Lichuan were beaten by Mou Wenshou, just to show their faces in front of Hong Shaobao, otherwise they would have to go back to Fengyang to keep vigil, which would not be profitable.
Everyone hoped to take this opportunity to sneak attack on the "Eight King" Zhang Xianzhong, so as to get the reward of up to 150,000 taels of silver, and then live a luxurious life of fine clothes and fine food.
"How can we accomplish great things if we are so impatient?"
Mou Wenshou was already in his 40s. In his early years, he participated in counter-insurgency operations in Sichuan and Guizhou and other places. He also fought against Kong Youde's rebels in the Dengzhou area. His old friend Yang Yufan teamed up to recapture Fengyang from the rogue bandits. He had extremely rich practical experience.
Seeing that the generals were very impatient and had a strong will to fight, they lowered their faces and admonished: "Our troops must repel those hundreds of thieves and block Zhang Ni's way south. At the moment, we should occupy the top of the mountain. It can control the surrounding areas and prevent Zhang Ni's rebel army from passing through the foot of the mountain, forcing them to attack the mountain. Firstly, our army can be condescending and suppress the rebel army. Secondly, it can buy time for Yang Yufan's troops to outflank him from the north. . Thirdly, when Hong Shaobao's army rushes for reinforcements, Zhang Ni's rebel army can be gathered and annihilated near Xian Mountain in one fell swoop."
Zhang Xianzhong was scheming and cunning, and his troops were like a loach, which was difficult to catch. Mou Wenshou and Yang Yufan, who had been fighting with him for a long time, testified.
Therefore, we must seize this hard-won opportunity. If we cannot defeat him, we must find ways to hold back Zhang Ni's bandit army as much as possible.
The best way is to have your own soldiers entrenched on the top of the mountain and control the middle of the mountain, so that the rebel army cannot come up and dare not go around from the foot of the mountain.
"Uncle, I wonder if I have any worries about Ma Su?"
Mou Shichun had read "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms". Ma Di insisted on stationing troops on the mountain, but was finally defeated by Sima Yi's army, and he became worried.
"Hahahaha, it seems that Shi Chun is also familiar with "Three Kingdoms". However, our army is no better than Ma Di's Shu army, and Zhang Ni is not Sima Yi. Today, there is Yang Yufan's army in Wanshan, and there are thousands of defenders in Xiangyang City, and Hong Shaobao's army will arrive here in less than two days. If Zhang Ni dares to lead his troops to besiege our troops, he is playing into my hands. When Hong Shaobao's army comes after him, Zhang Ni's troops will be completely wiped out!"
Mou Wenshou now wished that Zhang Xianzhong would be furious after hearing the news and order the rebel army to attack the mountain. This would mean that Zhang Ni had taken the bait, and his troops would not have to take the initiative to seduce them, and the rebel army would eat them as bait.
Last time, Zhang Ni led his troops to attack Xiangyang City. The battle lasted for a long time and he must have lost a lot of people. If he fought with his own troops again and waited for Hong Shaobao's army to bite him behind, he did not believe that Zhang Ni would have the possibility of making a comeback.
But if Zhang Ni plans to defeat him to the death, then just fulfill his wish. If you can attack him, you will be considered really capable. Otherwise, we men will not go down the mountain easily.
Mou Wenshou thought that with his five thousand soldiers and horses, it would be difficult to attack Zhang Ni's rebel army, but holding on to the top of the mountain for three days should not be a big problem.
If the traitor soldiers slip away from the foot of the mountain, I will use the Folangji to "send you off" properly. If I can't stand it anymore, I will attack the mountain. Whoever retreats first will be the grandson of the other party!
This is Mou Wenshou's tactic, simple but effective, and the location of his troops is the only way to Yicheng.
To the east is the Han River. Between Xian Mountain and the Han River, there is only a very narrow path, controlled by the army. Otherwise, you have to go around from the west and walk more than ten miles.
"kill!!!!!!!!"
At this moment, faint shouts of killing came from the foot of the mountain. Zhang Nengqi, who had been fighting for a while, led his troops to attack the mountain. There were 1,780 people, plus dozens of flying and swaying banners, big and small, and the formation was quite overwhelming. Not small.
"Whoever dares to escape first this time, I will make you a ghost with one arrow!"
After Zhang Nengqi, who was riding a black horse, angrily scolded the incompetent He Tianyun, he ordered the entire army to send out troops to seize the top of the mountain in one fell swoop, otherwise they would be blocked by the officers and soldiers in front of him. Behind him were tens of thousands of soldiers and horses from Hong Thief. , then the situation of the rebels is critical.
"Swords and shields in front! Bows and crossbows in the back! Horses and soldiers press the formation! Only advance, never retreat! Attack the mountain!"
The rebel soldiers also cheered up and regrouped, sweeping away the previous decline. They wore helmets and armor, and a large number of infantry used shields. Under the general's command, they formed a small formation of about twenty or thirty people and attacked upward. Start taking your enemies seriously.
"Pa~! Roar~!"
"Pa~! Roar~!"
"Pa~! Roar~!"
As the sword and shield soldiers advanced, they knocked their shields with their sabers, and then everyone roared in accordance with the beat, which boosted morale and emboldened everyone.
Although this method is crude, it is very effective. Thousands of people shouting slogans at the same time can definitely have a considerable intimidation effect and can also stimulate the fighting spirit of our own soldiers.
The main force led by the Eight Kings, especially some of the soldiers under the four sons, were mainly border troops and had undergone certain military training. They were not stupid losers like Li Zicheng who could be scattered in a single blow.
The appearance of robbing the people is not much different from that of other bandits, but on the battlefield, if it were not for a fierce battle in darkness, or the previous attack by heaven-defying firearms, they would never collapse.
Even if they lose for a while, they will quickly regroup and launch a counterattack. In terms of tenacity and stubbornness, their rebel army is second to none.
Otherwise, Li Zicheng's troops and horses would not have been wiped out by the government troops, while the Eight Kings had an army of more than 30,000 when they were recruited by the court.
"You dare to block my path! I will kill you until your bones are gone!"
Zhang Nengqi cursed angrily on his horse. The previous attack on the city was unsuccessful and he considered himself unlucky. But in field battles, he has not climbed through any dog officers and soldiers.
Even though this group of officers and soldiers had the advantage of the terrain, he was completely unafraid. Seeing as how they were as timid as rats, they would not have rushed back halfway up the mountain otherwise.
Anyone who dares to appear at the foot of the mountain will be counted as one. If you come with five pairs, take ten. The officers and soldiers should kill you, and have your intestines knocked out one by one to feed the wild dogs.
Legend has it that Fuxi was buried here after his death. Therefore, the place was full of immortality, and it was used as a cave dojo by Chisongzi, the real person of Taixu who came to cultivate immortality.
At that time, only one side could win today. Whoever could defeat the other would be the great immortal of this mountain!
Compared with other famous mountains, Xian Mountain, which is not very tall, is not very steep. It is just that it is in an excellent location, so Zhang Nengqi is certain to attack the top of the mountain.
"Come on! Don't delay!"
Seeing the official and military flags erected on the top of the mountain, Zhang Nengqi felt extremely annoyed, and his injuries began to hurt. This made him want to capture the top of the mountain as soon as possible, cut the big flag into several pieces and burn it as firewood.
Seeing that the officers and soldiers above did not open fire, the rebel soldiers became bolder. When they heard the orders from the four generals, they felt frightened and involuntarily accelerated their pace. Some even hoped in their hearts that the officers and soldiers would escape after the victory.
"boom……"
Just when they were about to climb halfway up the mountain, a burst of white eyes suddenly appeared on the top of the mountain, followed by shrill bullets flying through the air, knocking down the bewildered infantry.
The shields and bodies held by multiple sword and shield soldiers were smashed into countless pieces by bullets. Blood splashed on the faces of the companions next to them, making the viewers' legs tremble and their lips turn white.
"Don't panic! Charge up! Kill those who retreat!"
But Zhang Nengqi, who has experienced many battles, will not be frightened by this trick. He is almost halfway through the journey. If he works harder, he can rush up in one go.
Dozens of gunmen on the top of the mountain kept firing. In order to suppress the fire, the gunmen released all the sub-guns loaded with ammunition one by one in a short period of time.
Hundreds of rounds of bullets were thrown at them, which gave a blow to the thieves who came to attack the mountain. Just by visual inspection, it can be estimated that no less than three to four hundred people were knocked down.
Although the accuracy is a bit poor, it is still a real result. As long as you can win, you can clean up the battlefield and take the money from these thieves for yourself.
"kill!"
Seeing that the bandit army was approaching within a hundred steps, Mou Wenshou fired a cannon shot and asked the three brothers of the Mou family, Mou Guodong, Mou Guoxian, and Mou Guoheng, to lead the team, and two thousand officers and soldiers fought out from the top of the mountain.
The enemy can cross the river and attack halfway, and the enemy can climb the mountain and attack halfway.
As long as the time is ripe and grasped properly, attacking the enemy on the mountainside has a good chance of winning.
"Follow me and kill the thieves!"
Compared with Zuo Liangyu and other troops, the Mou Jiajun can be regarded as one of the top five loyal and brave divisions among the officers and troops stationed in the south.
After hearing the order, the soldiers followed General Mou's family and rushed down the mountain, catching the rebel soldiers who had just recovered from Fo Langji's bombardment by surprise.
The other party planned to take a breath before continuing to attack the mountain, but Mou Wenshou did not intend to give them this chance.
The Fo Lang machine was followed by a volley of cannon fire, and soon half of the troops were dispatched to drive the bandits down again.
Mou Wenshou did not intend to achieve much success, so he just let the generals repel the invading enemy from the mountainside position.
Even if Zhang Ni personally leads the main force of the bandit army, he will still fight in this way, but whether he can win is another matter.
However, it is possible to maximize the advantageous position and preserve the mobile force, so that Zhang Ni's rebel army can be choked.
The Mou Jiajun who were killed did not have gunmen, but soldiers with swords and shields charged in front and archers shot from behind.
It is of course very easy to rush from top to bottom. The attack is extremely fierce, like a mountain roaring and a tsunami.
The rebel offensive was instantly overwhelmed by the official army. Zhang Nengqi had no choice but to lead his team to resist desperately while shouting and cursing.
